Mightiest of the Maiar?

[Puddleglum]

Agreed. We must be careful not to equate "position" (rank in the valinorean stature) with "might" or "power" in combat.

For example, it is clearly stated (in the Valaquenta), wrt the Valar, that "Greatest in strength and deeds or prowess in Tulkas", and also that Orome is "less strong than Tulkas" - and yet Tulkas is named last among the Lords of the Valar in Order.

[Boromir88]

Physically, I think Eönwë may be argued to have the most physical power, as he is said in The Simarillion to be unsurpassed in arms by "any in Arda".~Inzil

Right, and if we are talking physical might I would not put Sauron at the top, because the times when he has gone into combat, he's lost or been killed. Granted he apparently took on Elendil and Gil-galad at the same time, but he was killed nonetheless.

And The Silmarillion says that Sauron is the greatest of Morgoth's servants, but that is an important qualifier.

Tolkien writes Sauron was wiser than Melkor and understood more of the Music as well. So, he has that going for him even though Olorin is counted as the "wisest" of the Maiar.

I think Sauron's greatest might, and I can't think of a better word for it than this, is spiritual. That is he was a master of bulldozing others' free wills and making his servants' wills act in accordance to his will. Corrupting Ar-Pharazon and he pretty much got an entire island destroyed without lifting a weapon. The Ringwraiths were completely enslaved to his will and even with the orcs he managed to organize and control them to a greater extent than Morgoth.

[Belegorn]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

Agreed. We must be careful not to equate "position" (rank in the valinorean stature) with "might" or "power" in combat.

For example, it is clearly stated (in the Valaquenta), wrt the Valar, that "Greatest in strength and deeds or prowess in Tulkas", and also that Orome is "less strong than Tulkas" - and yet Tulkas is named last among the Lords of the Valar in Order.

I think in that first list the order is not necessarily who is the greatest power overall in order, but there is a 2nd list on which Tulkas is not included that starts with the sentence, "Nine were of chief power and reverence... the High Ones of Arda: Manwë and Varda, Ulmo, Yavanna and Aulë, Mandos, Nienna, and Oromë... in majesty they are peers, surpassing beyond compare all others, whether of the Valar and the Maiar, or of any other order that Ilúvatar has sent into Ea." [Sil, p. 23]

So what does "less strong" mean between Tulkas and Oromë when clearly the latter is supposed to be one of the 9 greatest beings in Arda. I do not know. Like the Greek gods Zeus, Hades, and Poseiden these Nine are all peers in majesty, although not necessarily in practice as Manwë is King and the strongest, as was Zeus.

[cellurdur]

Sauron was more powerful than Gandalf and Saruman, but I don't believe he was the most powerful of the Maiar. Eonwe and Arien are implied to be mightier than anything Morgoth has to offer.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

It's worth mentioning the antiquarian perspective- that in the Old Dispensation Tolkien included some later Maiar among the Valar (e.g. Osse); and also postulated Children of the Valar, specifically Fionwe (> Eonwe), and Kosomot (= Gothmog) son of Morgoth! So, was Gothmog even mightier than Sauron?

[cellurdur]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

It's worth mentioning the antiquarian perspective- that in the Old Dispensation Tolkien included some later Maiar among the Valar (e.g. Osse); and also postulated Children of the Valar, specifically Fionwe (> Eonwe), and Kosomot (= Gothmog) son of Morgoth! So, was Gothmog even mightier than Sauron?

No it's said in more than one place that Sauron was the mightiest of the maia that followed Morgoth.

[jallanite]

Originally Posted by cellurdur

Sauron was more powerful than Gandalf and Saruman, but I don't believe he was the most powerful of the Maiar. Eonwe and Arien are implied to be mightier than anything Morgoth has to offer.

You don’t provide any evidence for your belief about Saruman other than that it is your belief. Same for Eönwë and Árien. Individual unsupported belief is not a valid argument.

Tolkien also indicates that all comments about Árien are part of the Mannish Silmarillion tradition, and so not necessarily true.

[cellurdur]

Originally Posted by jallanite

You don’t provide any evidence for your belief about Saruman other than that it is your belief. Same for Eönwë and Árien. Individual unsupported belief is not a valid argument.

Tolkien also indicates that all comments about Árien are part of the Mannish Silmarillion tradition, and so not necessarily true.

Just, because something was part of the Mannish version of the Silmarilien does not mean it does not have some truth. In every account Arien is an incredibly powerful Maia and either fights off the forces Morgoth sends or ends up burning him for life.

As for Eonwe he is called the mightiest in arms out of the Valar. He is Manwe's personal herald and was in charge of the War of Wrath. At present I don't have all my books, but there are plenty of quotes supporting these statements.